Waylon, my beautiful Texas Tumbleweed

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Nancy

Hooked on Hogs
Joined
Jan 28, 2009
Messages
1,620
Location
Kingston, Ontario
My beautiful Waylon crossed the bridge yesterday morning sometime between 8 and 9:30. It has been an emotional few days as I willed him to get better. I had the sick feeling since Tuesday that he would not make it.

Two weeks ago yesterday Waylon was at the vet because he had started sleeping in the open. I had switched him to a different cage and I thought maybe it was a protest over the new cage but I didn’t want to take any chances so off to the vet we went. He got an all clear and when we got home I put him in his old cage where he promptly went back to sleeping in his bag. I told him he was a stinker but kept a close watch on him for the next week and he was fine, nothing unusual.

Monday he was out in the open again and Tuesday morning he had not eaten anything overnight. He also had very sticky dark green poops that had that off smell of an intestinal infection so was put on antibiotics. He was going downhill fast He was exhausted and could barely walk yet was eating well with me syringing him. I was getting 3-5 mls in him at each syringing and he was eating more in a day being syringed than he ever ate on his own. He was so weak he couldn't walk, yet still eating well with me syringing him. Thursday night I started wondering if this was something more than an intestinal infection.

Friday morning was the first time he didn’t have much interest in being syringed but I still was hopeful because he’ed decided to start sleeping under his bag. We had to go into town for a bit and when we got home he had passed.

Preliminary necropsy report points to it being his heart. She said his heart was thick on one side and both she and the other vet said it was very odd looking. She has sent his heart and other samples out for pathology and hopefully will get some definite answers.

Waylon was one of the Texas Tumbleweeds who came on a long trip from Texas to southern Ontario.

Waylon was a wonderful little boy and I’m heartbroken that his life was so short. He was such a trusting little soul despite all he’ed been through in his short life. I can’t believe he’es gone.

Love you my sweet sweet boy.
 

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I'm sorry to hear about Waylon, Nancy. At least he had a good home where he was loved and had someone to syringe feed him. I'm very curious to see what the pathology report has to say about his heart though. Did the vet have any ideas initially?
 
No, she had no thoughts on his heart. Not only was one side thick but it had pale coloured streaks through it. Neither she nor the other vet had ever seen anything like it. Hopefully the pathology will give answers.
 
Hopefully the pathology will give us some answers. It certainly sounds like he was dealing with quite a lot in the end. He was certainly a good looking guy.
 
I'm sorry for your loss Nancy. Waylon is one of the cutest hedgie cowboys I've ever seen
 
Aw, I'm very sorry to hear that! Hopefully you will be able to get some answers!
 
I'm very sorry about your Waylon. He seemed like a lovely hedgie from your pictures and description.
 
So sorry for your loss Nancy! Hopefully the pathology gives us valuable information - Thank you Waylon, for helping us to learn more and help others with what we learn.
 
Nancy, I'm so sorry. I just saw your post about Waylon.

Waylon was certainly a beautiful boy. I remember holding him and his "brothers." They were a messy lot - all four of them snuggled into one bin on their way to their forever homes. Clean at night and then littered with kibbles and hedgie messies by morning. And after getting clean hedgiebags returned to them... the silly boys missed the openings. Went right under instead of inside.

Gosh, Waylon and his brothers have all come so far from where they were. I'm very glad he was able to come to live with you. To experience your care. To know that he was safe. That he was home. That he was loved.
 
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